Paul M. Brown, February 1, 1940 – April 19, 2026. Paul passed away peacefully surrounded by family, after a brief illness from leukemia. He was preceded in death by his parents, Gilbert and Marion Marsh Brown.

Paul was born in Omaha and graduated from Benson High School in 1958, where he earned nine letters in football, baseball, and basketball. Athletics were then, and always remained, a big part of his life. He was inducted into the OPS Athletic Hall of Fame.

Paul attended Dartmouth College and graduated from the University of Iowa in 1962, where he played football and baseball. He later graduated from Creighton Law School in 1965. After law school, Paul entered the U.S. Army and was assigned to the Artillery Division. With a year of training, he was sent to Vietnam, serving as a forward observer in artillery, followed by six months in the JAG division. He returned to Omaha with the rank of Captain.

In 1967, he began his law career with the firm of Beber and Richards, later becoming Richards, Riekes, Brown and Zabin. He remained there until 1991, when he and his friend Tom Wolff started their own practice, Brown and Wolff, P.C.

Football officiating began as a hobby for Paul, working youth tackle and later Omaha high school and small college games. In 1980, he joined the Big Eight officiating crew, later continuing in the Big 12, where he officiated for 20 years. He worked several bowl games, including the Sugar Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Citrus Bowl, Freedom Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Sun Bowl, and Copper Bowl.

When asked a few days ago what his favorite football memory was, he said the “Fifth Down Game.” In the 1990 Colorado vs. Missouri game—before instant replay—Colorado scored the game-winning touchdown on an erroneous 5th down, due to an officiating error where the down marker on the sideline got out of sync and was not corrected. The extra play allowed Colorado to beat Missouri and ultimately go on to win the national championship. Paul’s friends affectionately nicknamed him “5th Down Brown,” a nickname that stuck with him for more than 35 years.  As the line judge that day—without direct involvement in the error—he always enjoyed the story.

Paul was a coach to his three children, Randy, Scott, and Marietta, in whatever sport was in season until they reached high school. To Paul’s delight the boys’ high school teammates often  hung out at the Brown’s for weekends, and many became part of the family.  Paul’s kids  loved traveling with Paul to college football games, attending bowl games, and following the local Nebraska and Creighton basketball teams with their dad. Paul even took up tennis so he could play with his tennis-playing son and spent many hours golfing with his sons during their high school years.

In 2001, Paul formed a family real estate development company. The first project was Village Pointe, in which the family maintained a partnership until its sale in December 2025. The company grew to include apartments, hotels, offices, and retail centers—a remarkable second career.

Later in life, Paul focused heavily on giving back. The family sponsored five Marion Marsh Brown Author Lectures, bringing speakers such as John Grisham, Lee Child, James Patterson, and Nicholas Sparks to Omaha. Paul and Djel Ann, along with a classmate, also established a foundation for Benson High School. What began as a small effort in five years had grown  into major projects: a $6.5 million health center in partnership with OPS, a new lighted tennis complex, and a fully funded $6 million baseball and softball complex at Gallagher Park, now set to begin construction. He was especially proud of providing these opportunities—not to create professional athletes, but to give kids a chance to learn and enjoy the game.

Paul loved golf, cars, and conversation. He could talk about anything—farming, sports, medicine, gardening, trees, or real estate—and was always engaged. Paul was present at most of his grandchildren’s sporting events, more opportunities for  making more friends. 

He valued his year as President of Suburban Rotary, the many boards on which he served, and his induction into the Benson High School Hall of Fame. He loved life, remained humble, and never sought recognition.

Paul is survived by his wife of 61 years, Djel Ann; his sons, Randy (Kim) and Scott (Kerry); and his daughter, Marietta (Rob Luellen). He is also survived by his grandchildren, Matt and Lindsey Luellen; Remy (Bailey) and Preston Brown; and Dylan, Ellie, and Kayla Brown. He is further survived by his nieces, Christine Thompson and Lisa Hoesing, as well as Djel Ann’s Gallup family—Paula, Pam, Bridget, Jay, Sean, and their children. He was preceded in death by his brother, Al Brown, and brother-in-law, Bill Gallup.

Per his wishes, there will be a family graveside service with a Celebration of Life to be held at the groundbreaking of the baseball fields at Gallagher Park. The Celebration will take place on June 7 at 4:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome.  Memorials may be directed to The Paul Brown Memorial Youth Fund–Benson High School Foundation.  1925 No. 120^th St. Omaha, NE 68154.